


With the Storm Above and the Sea Below

by njckle



Series: What Is a Man Without Beasts? [4]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Flying, Gen, Newt’s travels, Storm Petrel, Wizarding World of Japan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-02 03:18:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13309317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/njckle/pseuds/njckle
Summary: After helping an ailing bird, Newt sets out for a test flight.





	With the Storm Above and the Sea Below

**Author's Note:**

> I'm surprised no one talks about Mahoutokoro, the wizarding school in Japan, or that its day students ride giant storm petrels to and from school. I'm going to change that.

With the cool wind hitting his face, biting his nose and pushing his hair back, Newt wonders why he doesn’t take to the sky more often. He laughs when he dips, the land getting closer a lot quicker than it should far all of two seconds, and pats the body under him once they balance out.

“You’re doing amazing,” he tells the creature in face of the little mishap. The storm petrel, Satoshi, screeches, flapping once, twice, three times for them to hit a warmer, steadier current. Riding it, they circle the island below.

At its center, South Iwo Jima rests, unresponsive and old. Green creeps up the island, overtaking the volcano with a blanket of lush wilderness. The curling mist at its brim momentarily sweeps away to reveal the school settled there. Mahoutokoro gives off a grand impression, spellbinding and mystical with every sweep of architecture, even more ancient than Hogwarts. Newt only wishes he had time to visit it’s halls.

He glances over at the rider to his left. “I must admit you were right! Much better than a train ride! And the view is spectacular!”

Daichi gives a small smile and brings his petrel closer to Newt’s until the tips of their wings barely touch. He nods his acknowledgment of the praise, humble, but Newt thinks the young man is quite pleased at the compliment. “You help Satoshi fly again! Only thing I know to show my thanks! Something to remember us when you are gone!”

Newt will certainly remember it. The number of foreigners that are able to be treated to such sights are few in between, he’s sure, and those who are allowed to ride these large birds are even less common. He strokes the feathers underneath him and thinks himself lucky.

“One more surprise!” Diachi waves for him to follow, and Newt ducks low as Satoshi rises higher above the sea spray. They cut across the island’s cliffs and soar across the expanse of the sea toward Iwo Jima. Diachi’s petrel doesn’t keep to one spot, flying above and below, circling around Newt with a great deal of aerial prowess; Newt keeps to a leisurely pace in face of Satoshi’s previous rehabilitation. Even so, by the end of it, Daichi’s hair remains intact in his ponytail while Newt’s usual crow’s nest is completely unkempt and tangled when he runs his hand through it.

“We fly through there,” Daichi yells excitedly, pointing.

It’s then that Newt really looks at what’s ahead of them. A storm, one that’s made of layers of clouds colored grey, spanning for leagues over the churning sea below. Further out in the distance, he sees the flash of lightning, thunder rumbling soon after.

“Oh dear,” he says to himself. The sight of it all looks absolutely tempestuous, an omen of a difficult flight ahead, one he’s not sure he’s ready to try. He was an adequate Chaser in his Hogwarts days, sure and quick with a broom under him, but flying a petrel is another matter. He turns to Daichi. “You’re not serious, are you?”

His companion nods. “It is a rite of passage! You fly through, you are welcome back with honor!”

“Does Ryoko know you were planning this?” he asks. “I don’t think she’ll be very happy about you taking me here—with Satoshi, no less!”

“She will be proud if you succeed! And Satoshi is strong!”

Newt doesn’t know whether to be exasperated or amused at the answer—or the lack of one for that matter. Out of all the wizards he’d met in Japan, Daichi is certainly the wildest by his culture’s standards (certainly the kindest, open to housing a traveler). Seven years Newt’s junior and already he’s devoted his life to the giant birds of Japan (although he’s more interested in racing them than breeding), and he’s far more than willing than any other wizards to indulge Newt and his inquiries, if only for the chance of hearing stories about his travels.

What they’re doing now isn’t a threat to the statue of secrecy, but it is dangerous. It reminds Newt of the times he took out his mother’s hippogriffs out for a secret flight around the countryside, often without proper disillusionment charms and within Muggle towns. Whether or not they get through the storm in one piece, Ryoko won’t be pleased about them flying her petrels this far without her permission. Only, Newt will admit that he’s not completely against the idea, even if it gets him in trouble, as he’s itching to do some exciting before he finally leaves for Russia.

“Alright,” he says, “I’ll do it.”

“Trust Satoshi!” With that piece of advice, Daichi leans to the side, his petrel following suit, and, together, they fall into the stormy clouds. His laugh is happy and loud, like flying into a raging storm an average day occurrence (which it might just be), and it lags behind to keep Newt company.

Newt leans forward to peer at the petrel underneath him, laying a hand on it’s feathered neck. “How bout it then? Are you up for a test flight?” It might seem silly to ask, but this is the first time in weeks the bird has taken to the air after all.

Satoshi rolls a giant eye to look back him before turning forward again, his answer quite obvious to Newt. Quite suddenly, he surges up to where the air thins considerably and grows chillier, and Newt’s nearly blown away by the force of the wind. Above, the sky is clear and the mid-morning sun shines bright, and from this height, Newt has an amazing, if not intimidating, view of the top of the storm.

“Right.” He tugs his thick coat tighter, fixes his gloves, doing little acts to stifle the jitters that’s starting to build in his chest like it always does whenever he’s preparing to do something exceedingly crazy. Now’s not the time to worry; better to live in the moment, risks and all. He rolls his shoulders, sucking in a deep breath before letting it out in one great puff. “Come on then!”

They dive.

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired while listening to the How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack by John Powell. More specifically, by [Coming Back Around](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=talZJpCWX-U).
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
